rowdy

1 of 2

adjective

row·​dy ˈrau̇-dē 

rowdier; rowdiest

: coarse or boisterous in behavior : rough

also : characterized by such behavior

rowdy local bars

rowdily

ˈrau̇-də-lē 

adverb

rowdiness

ˈrau̇-dē-nəs 

noun

rowdyish

ˈrau̇-dē-ish 

adjective

rowdy

2 of 2

noun

plural rowdies

: a rowdy person : tough

Synonyms of rowdy

Adjective

• boisterous
• raucous
• rambunctious
• lively
• noisy
• violent
• rollicking
• rumbustious
• robustious

Noun

• thug
• criminal
• tough
• gangster
• hooligan
• pirate
• bandit
• ruffian
• villain

Examples of rowdy in a Sentence

Adjective

a rowdy game of basketball

a rowdy but good-natured group of teenagers

Noun

rowdies had overtaken the neighborhood and were threatening people on the street

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Additionally, local resident Blake Ferrer was injured while attempting to defend his property from the rowdy group of drivers, The Post reported. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Nov. 2025

Here, depending on the time of year, visitors will encounter a sleepy handful or a rowdy convention of elephant seals. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025

Enforcement has been lax, as long as the homebrew didn’t spill into public trade or rowdy parties. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 22 Nov. 2025

Tombstone retains the bones of that rowdy era allowing visitors a chance to step back in time. —Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

perhaps irregular from row entry 5

First Known Use

Adjective

1832, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1865, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rowdy

• cloudy
• dowdy
• howdy

Kids Definition

rowdy

1 of 2 adjective

row·​dy ˈrau̇d-ē 

rowdier; rowdiest

: rough or loud in behavior

rowdiness noun

rowdy

2 of 2 noun

plural rowdies

: a rowdy person